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By PAUL CARUS 




Copyright N*.'.""^'^^''^' 

COEflRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



THE NEW MORN 



THE NEW MORN 



ENGLISH DIPLOMACY AND THE TRIPLE 
ENTENTE 



A PHANTASMAGORIA IN ONE ACT 



BARRIE AMERICANUS NEUTRALIS 

[PAUL CARUS] 



"the morn is wiser than the eve." 

oriental proverb. 



CHICAGO 
THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1916 



■ z 

.C-S5" 



COPYRIGHT BY 

THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1916 



OCT -4 1916 



0)GI,D 45184 



Sir James Matthew Barrie, the famous author of Peter 
Pan, has written a short dramatic poem in one act entitled 
"Der Tag" or The Tragic Man in which he characterizes the 
Kaiser as a lover of peace, but weak and under the influence 
of the Prussian Camarilla as represented in his minister. The 
emperor, urged on to war at last, signs the fatal document 
and "Der Tag" breaks when war becomes unavoidable. 
However poetic Barrie's little play may be, it is utterly 
false in its premises ; it misrepresents the Kaiser and his 
policy, and is obviously written to exonerate Great Britain 
from responsibility for the war. The formation of the 
Triple Entente was but a preparatory step for a war on 
Germany which it was hoped could be finished quickly by 
a crushing blow dealt suddenly by the French and Russians 
without involving England in the evils of a war. We sub- 
mit herewith a poem describing the situation as it appears 
to the eyes of an impartial bystander and which the author 
hopes reflects the truth more accurately than Sir James 
Barrie's appealing sketch. 

England was beaten by Germany before the war in 
peaceful enterprise, and her only hope to remain in the lead 
was through ruining her rival in an unequal war. Every- 
thing was cleverly devised, and yet Germany is not squashed. 
Germany has been united in a brotherly alliance with 
Austria-Hungary, and Turkey has joined the two as a most 
valuable addition to the territory of the central powers. 
A new morn is dawning in history, in which on the ground 
of the most ancient civilizations, a new coalition is formed 
— a coalition that is military in defense and economical in 
peaceful trade and industry. 

This new empire may fitly be called Centralia, on ac- 
count of its central position in the old world, from which it 
may establish connections with the interior of Africa, with 
India and possibly through Tibet with China. England 
wanted to crush Germany, but instead it is creating Cen- 
tralia, and the English blockade, not unlike a prohibitive 
tariff, is most contributory to its consolidation. 



CHARACTERS 

King Edward VII 
British Premier 
John, the King's valet 
The Witch of Time 
Pages 

In Vision: 

Kaiser Wilhelm II 
Czar of Russia 
President of France 
Russian General 
King George V 
His Aide-de-Camp 
Bismarck 

FlELDMARSHAL VON HiNDENBURG 

An American 
Railroad Guard 
Officers, Soldiers, etc. 



DIAGRAM OF THE STAGE. 

d - 





Right 









o 








E 


o 




o 




G 


[ o 

Fort B 


F 





R. T. 



King Edward VII's dressing room forms the background of the 
stage. On the left side there is the dressing table {dt), a large 
mirror (m) and an armchair {c), the seat of the king. On the right 
side of the background is a door (d) and the place where the witch 
appears {W). In the foreground the Germans take their stand in 
the center (G) ; the Russians {R) on the left side of the stage, the 
Belgians (5), the English {E) and the French (F) on the right. The 
track (RT), where first the American automobile and then the Ger- 
man locomotive run, lies in the front portion of the stage. 



THE NEW MORN. 

ENGLISH DIPLOMACY AND THE TRIPLE ENTENTE. 

The King's dressing room in the palace. A dressing table with 
a large mirror on one side. John, the King's valet, places the 
several toilet utensils, brushes, powder-box, rouge, nail-clip and 
file in order on the dressing table, £rst using all the articles on 
himself. 

John. When next these things are used it will be on 
a crowned king, but of course I have used them 
first on myself. I am very close to His Majesty, 
— I had almost said "His Royal Highness." So 
far my master has been Prince of Wales, but 
now he is King of England, and I must become 
accustomed to saying "Your Majesty." Of 
course I have risen with him. Henceforth I am 
"Valet to His Majesty King Edward the Sev- 
enth." It is time he was back from the corona- 
tion. I wonder how he feels. He looks funny 
enough. What would the old Anglo-Saxon 
kings have said of their latest successor, this 
stumpy follower of the fair sex ! I do not blame 
him for his follies for he is king and can do as 
he pleases. I only find fault with his bad taste. 
However, that is his business. It is he that has 
to take all the consequences. After all, as the 



2 THE NEW MORN. 

proverb says, no man is a hero to his valet, and 
I suppose that is true. At least it is true of him. 
Here he comes now. 

(John bows deeply. Enter the King with scepter and crown, 
dressed in royal ermine and purple, his train carried by pages. 
The pages kneel, then leave the room.) 

King. At last! At last! I have been waiting long 
For this momentous day which sees me crowned. 
John, come and take the scepter. 

(John approaches.) 

Tarry a little 
And leave these emblems but a moment longer 
Within my grasp. They mean so very much. 
Now leave me with my royal thoughts alone. 
And when I ring, come back and help disrobe 
me. 

(John bows and withdraws. The King poses before the mirror.) 

King. There, at last ! Behold, King Edward the 
Seventh! I am delighted to see myself in this 
garb. I am the seventh of my name. Seven is a 
holy number, a significant number. The Arch- 
bishop said it is a sacred number and all-com- 
prehensive. It is three plus four. '*Three" 
means God and ''four" the world. So ''seven" 
means all, God and the world. It means com- 
pleteness. There are seven wonders of the 
world ; there are the seven colors of the rainbow ; 
there are seven stars in the Pleiades constella- 
tion; there are the seven wise men; there are 
the seven ages of man; there are seven days in 
the week and the seventh day is blessed among 



THE NEW MORN. 3 

them: — and finally there are seven Edwards! 
Yes, seven kmgs of England of that name; and 
I am the seventh. 

I am King of England. That means I am the 
ruler of Great Britain, and as ruler of Great 
Britain I rule the world. Britannia indeed 
rules the waves; the British empire extends 
over every sea and into every clime. It is God's 
gift to Old England, and that is why this scepter 
and this golden crown upon my head mean so 
much. They mean dominion over all the world. 
For every country that is reached by ships 
Pays tribute to the mistress of the seas, 
And we lay down the law to other nations. 
Could I but peer into the distant future! 
I fain would see the destiny of England, 
Her dangers and her triumphs — triumphs yea! 
For I am sure we are the chosen people 
Whom God has blessed above the other nations 
To rule the world and bear the white man's 

burden. 
Dark powers of things to come, reveal to me, — 
The King of England, — England's destiny! 

{The Witch of Time, a tall old woman, rises from the ground. 
She is veiled in gray.) 

King. Mysterious woman, let me see thy face ! 

(Witch unveils her face.) 

Witch. Thou callest me, King Edward, and I come 
Out of the depth of that unfathomed night 
Which shrouds the distant time. Hear thou my 
words, 



4 THE NEW MORN. 

That thou, the seventh of thy name, completest 
The day of England's greatness. Evening falls, 
The sun is setting on a glorious reign. 
The Anglo-Saxons' queens are great, but not 
Their kings, and the Victorian age is past. 
Thou wouldst begin a new, more manly era, 
But if thou imitatest not Prince Hal 
'T will be no better, it will surely lead 
Old England down — down to her sure destruc- 
tion. 

King. Who art thou, dastardly old toothless woman, 
Hag of the night, curse of a wayward fate? 

Witch. My name — that matters not. But heed thou 
well 
The warning which I come to bring to thee. 
God, the Omnipotent, long suffering. 
The God of history, has truly blessed 
The land whose guidance with this scepter is 
Entrusted now to thee. But do thy statesmen 
Use wisely and with justice their great power? 
Does England merit the supremacy 
Which has been hers? God's patience long en- 
dures, 
But finally He calls all to account. 
Art thou the man to rectify past wrongs 
And lead Old England on to higher things? 

King. What qualities are needed for the task? 

Witch. One, merely one alone, and it is manhood. 

King. My predecessor was a woman. 

Witch. Yea! 



THE NEW MORN. 5 

King. I am a man! 

Witch. Not every man has manhood. 

King. What is thy meaning, hag? Speak plainly. 

Witch. Well 

I mean by manhood simple honesty. 

King. If that be all, I do not fear the task 
Of being King and governing the world. 
I think that simple honesty is good, 
Yea, very good if it be used as mask 
To hide the cunning of our statecraft's art. 
What England needeth is diplomacy. 
The Hindus did not lack in honesty, 
But honesty is good for simpletons 
Who would be duped. The Irish patriots 
Possess enough of simple honesty, 
But never have they independence gained. 
The Chinese in their simple honesty 
Thought to debar our opium from their ports. 
The Boer insisted on his right to block 
The British progress ; but his honesty 
Assuredly was of no use to him. 
Oh no, my good old witch, you are mistaken; 
On honesty Old England cannot prosper ; 
Pure honesty is but for lowly folks. 
We need much more — we need diplomacy. 

Witch. It takes a hero to be truly honest. 

King. I am no hero, but a mortal man 

With human, all too human, faults. But then 
Pm keen of wit and can accomplish much 



6 THE NEW MORN. 

By mere persuasion and by shrewd designs. 
I want to be prepared for my great task 
And wish to see what dangers are in store. 

Witch. Great Britain has no friends; she stands 
alone. 
Protected by the sea in isolation, 
She is surrounded by great enemies. 
See here the French, for centuries your foes. 

(In the background, on the right side, an arch appears, like the 
Arch of Triumph in Paris, with the tricolor Hying above it. 
Underneath, in dress suit, covered with a red, white and 
blue scarf, the President of France, surrounded by French 
officers in uniform. The President speaks to his generals.) 

President. We hate John Bull. He is our meanest 
foe. 
The Germans have been bad enough; they took 
Alsace-Lorraine when we, all unprepared, 
Still bore the yoke of the third Bonaparte; 
But they at least beat us in open battle, 
While England robbed us by diplomacy. 
Messieurs, remember Suez and Fashoda. 
Lesseps, a Frenchman, a French genius, 
Built that canal with our own capital, 
And now 'tis England's. 'Twas our caravan 
That first crossed Africa to far Fashoda; 
'Tis England now reaps all the benefit. 
Therefore beware! A snake lurks in the grass 
Where'er a British diplomat has stepped. 
The Germans fight in fair and open battle; 
The English rob us by diplomacy. 

{The picture fades away.) 



THE NEW MORN. 7 

Witch. You have worse enemies and more than 
France. 
Look at the Slav in his barbaric might! 
All over Asia see his agents swarm. 
He spins intrigues which will be difficult 
For you to rend. Behold another danger — 

iOn the left the background opens and shows a typical Russian 
church entrance with a Russian General in fur coat and 
cap, with a knout in hand. At his right the Czar dressed in 
his imperial state; behind both, Russian soldiers and Cos- 
sacks.) 

General. The present age belongs to western Eu- 
rope, 
To England and to Germany and France; 
but soon a new and brighter morn shall break; 
Soon shall we reach in our triumphant march 
That ancient city of the Bosphorus, 
And thence to Suez, gateway to the East; 
Then Persia, helpless, and Afghanistan 
Will fall before us; and at last our arms 
Shall be supreme where now the Briton rules — 
In India, the treasury of the East. 
Let England rule the waves, we'll rule the land, 
And England will be helpless 'gainst our armies, 
Uncounted and invincible. Yea, sire, 
Be confident. Our victory is sure. 
Ere long all Asia shall be 'neath our sway, 
And then in our victorious march we'll turn 
Upon our western foe, the mighty Teuton. 
France clamors for revenge ; she'll be our friend. 
Then shall the Teuton, too, bow low his knee. 



8 THE NEW MORN. 

And all the world be ours ; in every land 
Our faith shall spread, and holy Russia will 
Fulfil her destiny decreed by God. 

(The Russian group disappears.) 

King. All these our enemies? Have we no friends? 

Witch. England has nowhere friends unless the 
Germans. 
They are your kin. But in these later days 
Distrust has grown among them, for they fear 
The ill designs of your diplomacy. 
Germania grows apace; her sons aspire 
To noble things, and greatness they achieve, 
And honor and renown among all nations. 
Behold the guardian spirit of her people! 

{Near the center of the stage Bismarck appears with the 
young Kaiser William II.) 

Kaiser. O venerable trusty counselor 

Of my grandfather, let me learn from you 
How I can strengthen Germany's position 
That ne'er again she shall experience 
The agonies of conquest as of yore ; 
For I would foster in our Fatherland 
The sciences and arts and industries. 
I shall be proud if our posterity 
Will call me once the emperor of peace. 

Bismarck. Remember, Si vis pacem para helium. 
We are surrounded, sire, by enemies, 
And by no other means is peace preserved 
Than by a constant readiness for war. 



THE NEW MORN. 9 

The French are in alliance with the Russians 
And we must learn to fight the two at once. 
Since your grandfather beat the French, they've 

grown 
In affluence and military power; 
And Russia is a giant, great and mighty, 
Yet, happily, but barbarous and crude, 
And lacking wisdom and experience. 

Kaiser. War is a curse and ever fraught with 
danger. 
As long as possible I will preserve ; 

The benefits of peace, that so my people 
May prosper in all good and useful arts. 
In science and in peaceful enterprise. 
And should the day of trial come, God grant 
That I be ready first to draw the sword. 
I will be worthy of my ancestors. 
I'll either wield my sword in victory 
Or I will die in open field with honor. 
We Germans fear but God, and nothing else. 

{The group near the center disappears.) 

King. Not even Germany is our good friend. 
She seems more dangerous than all the rest. 
In Germany there slumbers native strength. 
And if her growth continues as of late 
She will be England's most undaunted rival. 
The others are not rivals, they are foes. 
Foes may be changed by good diplomacy 
So as to be of service, not so rivals; 
Therefore I fear but Germany alone. 



10 THE NEW MORN. 

Tis true she helped us in our recent trouble; 
But then she simply did oppose the French 
Lest they perchance became too strong. 'Tis 

true 
The Russians tried to take the Dardanelles 
That they from thence might threaten the canal, 
And that design, too, Bismarck did defeat. 
He favored us, but solely for the reason 
That Russia must not be allowed to grow. 
But now I have a plan ; and not in vain 
These phantom visions have appeared to me. 
Great Britain shall be ever, as to-day, 
Supreme and mistress of the seven seas. 
Old witch, I bid thee gratefully farewell. 

Witch. I warn thee once again to act the man. 
The fate of England hangs on thy decision. 

(She disappears. The King rings the bell. John enters.) 

King. Come, John, take these insignia. 

(He hands John the scepter.) 

Here, take off the crown ; it presses rather hard ; 
and even the robe is unwieldy ; it makes me per- 
spire. Go now and bid the Premier come to me. 

John. Your Majesty, his Excellency is waiting at 
the door. 

King. Let him enter at once. 

(Exit John.) 

I hope the new Premier is to my heart. 



THE NEW MORN. II 

I know at least that he is. Hke a fox, 
Cunning and smart and full of clever tricks. 

(John shows in the Premier, bows and withdraws.) 

Premier. I thought you might wish to see me, your 
Majesty; therefore I came uncalled. 

King. Well considered and well done. I want to 
know what you think of the European situation. 

Premier. The European situation is not bad. Still 
I venture to say that your noble mother has 
been overkind to Germany, very gracious and 
forbearing. She was so loving in her parental 
affection. The Kaiser is her grandson, and a 
grandmother is naturally fond of her grand- 
children. 

King. Yes, yes, I know, and she was proud of the 
young man, but though he is my nephew I must 
confess he does not act with becoming modesty. 
His utterances on more than one occasion have 
been provocative and threatening. He prates 
overmuch of the mailed fist. 

Premier. Yes, and he persists in increasing his 

navy. 
King. His navy? 

Premier. Indeed, Your Majesty, He has almost 
one-third as many ships now as England. His 
aggressiveness may become intolerable. I fear 
that I can say nothing better than the ancient 
dictum in a modern version: Caeterum censeo 
Germaniam esse delendam. 



12 THE NEW MORN. 

King. Yes. Germany must be crushed. 

Premier. We have been too long-suffering in al- 
lowing the Germans to have a strong army, but 
we cannot permit them to bulid a navy, and 
since they begin to invade the sea, we must act. 
The sea is ours and we must check the first 
attempt they make to take possession of the 
world's waterways. We must stop them before 
it be too late. 

King. There is another danger. The same warning 
applies to the great republic of the west. 

Premier. Indeed America worries me too, but later 
troubles lesser worries, and over there we have 
more friends than Your Majesty imagines. If it 
comes to the worst, Japan is our ally and Canada 
extends over the whole breadth of the continent. 
We need not worry about America. Our im- 
mediate and great danger is Germany. Ger- 
many is beating us in times of peace by industrial 
progress. Consider the unparalleled increase of 
her trade, her commerce, her prosperity! And 
her navy grows from year to year. We need 
strong alliances so that our confederates will 
fight our battles, as has been our custom in 
former wars. We must unite Russia and France. 
Germany may overcome one of them single- 
handed, but not both ; and even then we should 
help by blockading the German coasts and by 
protecting Russian transports to land an invad- 
ing army in Pomerania. But we must start the 



THE NEW MORN. 13 

war soon. Peace is ruinous to England ; it spells 
defeat to us by the slow but steady advance of 
German industry. 

King. What can be done? 

Premier. My plan is ready, sire. 

King. Speak out. 

Premier. France and Russia will unite under all 
circumstances to crush Germany, and are but 
waiting for an opportunity. Germany is as in 
a vise between the two; and if we join them to 
ruin German trade and cut the Germans off 
from the rest of the world, resistance will be 
brief. France and Russia will be greatly en- 
couraged to venture into a war against Germany 
if we give them the promise of our support and 
form a Triple Entente against her. There is no 
risk. And, Your Majesty, if Germany were ex- 
tinguished to-morrow there is not an English- 
man in the world who would not be the richer 
the day after. Neither France nor Russia is 
dangerous to us, for both are incapable of de- 
veloping a strong navy. We have only one 
thing to fear and that is the growth of Ger- 
many, and we must act before it is too late. 

King. Germania est delenda! 

{He stands in thought.) 

But our trade with Germany is not unimportant. 
Should we not suffer too in case of war? 



14 THE NEW MORN. 

Premier. We may suffer, but only temporarily. We 
are the richest of all nations in the world, and 
wars are decided by money. 

King. Indeed! And wars are expensive; even the 
victor may have his credit ruined. But, consider, 
the credit of Russia is quite shaky and Germany 
is well financed. 

Premier. Yes, Germany is well financed but the 
Germans are poor devils after all. Their pros- 
perity is of yesterday, and will soon be spent. 
The question is not who can pay cash when the 
war begins, but who has the last million to in- 
vest. Of course it will fall on us to furnish the 
sinews of war, and we can do it. We have a 
billion pounds annually from India, and when 
our resources are exhausted we can draw on 
America. 

King. {Chuckles) America! That reminds me of 
our dear cousins! ha, ha, ha! 

Premier. We need not worry. Our allies on the 
continent, France and Russia, have both made 
considerable progress in their military institu- 
tions, while Germany has been stationary. The 
Germans have lost in skill and efficiency of arma- 
ment. In the Balkan war the Turks were sup- 
ported by the Germans while the rebels, the 
Serbs with the other Christians, were guided 
by the French, — and the Turks were miserably 
beaten. That indicates the French are now 
superior. The old German generals of 1870 



THE NEW MORN. I5 

are dead, and the new ones who have taken their 
places are prigs. The whole German army is a 
blufif. The Russians have gained experience in 
the Japanese war; they have introduced mar- 
velous reforms and can alone overcome the Ger- 
mans. They outnumber the Germans easily by 
two, or even three, to one. The results can be 
foreseen. The war will be over as soon as the 
Russians and the French meet in Berlin. 

{The King nods.) 

King. The prospect pleases me, but are we quite 
sure of all the facts on which our hope is based ? 

Premier. Indeed we are. 

King. The prospect is promising. That would ruin 
our rival and establish British supremacy. 

Premier. There is one point of importance: we must 
support the allies with our navy, otherwise they 
will not venture into the war. We may be con- 
fident that the allies will accomplish the bulk of 
the task without us, for the Russians can raise 
nine million troops and the French five or six. 
Fifteen million men will be too much even for 
Germany, and we can count also on a rebellion 
of the Social Democrats in that country. They 
are a strong and well organized party, almost 
one-third of the whole people; they hate the 
Kaiser and will do anything to have him deposed 
or exiled or slain. Be assured, Germany cannot 
stand a war. But we must lend France and 



l6 THE NEW MORN. 

Russia our moral support. Possibly they may 
demand our army too. 

King. Could we send one hundred and fifty thou- 
sand men ? 

Premier. No doubt we should have to, and possibly 
more. But of course we will keep our men in 
the background. Our colonials are ready to join 
us. 

King. Yes ! Let them go to the front. 

Premier. The Canadians, the Australians, the Hin- 
dus, the Africans — it will make a fine show. 

{The King rubs his hands, he rises and ivalks up and dozvn.) 

King. Fine! Fine! 

Premier. The time is not yet ripe, but we must pre- 
pare and make ready for war. The Triple Entente 
alone will be sufficient to insure victory, but we 
shall have, besides, the help of all the smaller 
powers. Belgium is sure to join us, and we may 
hope to gain the Dutch, the Danes, the Swedes, 
and the Norwegians too; if they remain neutral 
they shall suffer for their anti-British attitude 
after the war. Italy and Austria are now allied 
with Germany, but we can induce at least the 
government at Rome to stand by us, for we could 
ruin the long and exposed coast of their pe- 
ninsula. Our navy would bombard their cities 
from Genoa and Venice down to Messina with 
absolute impunity. They are at our mercy, so 



THE NEW MORN. 17 

they would at least remain neutral; and hence 
Germany will stand alone with Austria; and 
then, I know the Italians! (making a show of 
paying out money) that greases the wheels! 

King. Yes, that is true. But let us not be over- 
confident. It is not likely that Holland and the 
northern countries will join us; they would re- 
main neutral. However, we have created Bel- 
gium; she owes us her existence, therefore she 
is our friend. 

Premier. Yes, Belgium will open her formidable 
fortresses to us and allow us free passage for an 
attack on Charlemagne's ancient capital, Aix- 
la-Chapelle. Krupp's works are near there and 
could be taken. 

King. That is excellent, and England will thus be 
able to dispose of her most dangerous rival. I 
myself may not see the final triumph, but the 
time is surely coming and my son will inherit 
the fruitage of my work, the results of my di- 
plomacy. We will run no risk. 

Premier. We must put an end to Germany's naval 
power; we must blockade her ports. Then we 
will capture her trade, and check her growing 
wealth and commerce. The French and the 
Russians will break her military power, her 
Prussianism and her ambition. 

King. Is there no way to avoid a war? 



l8 THE NEW MORN. 

Premier. None, Your Majesty! Germany has be- 
gun to rival us in manufactures, and she threat- 
ens to surpass us in commerce. Then our su- 
premacy will be lost. This must not be! We 
face a crisis. The question is whether we or 
Germany are to survive. 

King. Could not the two nations peacefully develop 
side by side? Perhaps you exaggerate. 

Premier. How can I exaggerate? Here are facts. 

{Takes a ^apcr out of his breast pocket.) 

See here ! Statistics do not lie. The population 
of Germany has multiplied rapidly within six- 
teen years ; it has risen from forty-eight millions 
to sixty-seven millions, which means an annual 
increase of over eleven per thousand in birthrate. 
It is exceeded only by Russia which shows an 
annual increase of seventeen per thousand. 

But, here, see the industrial statistics. 

The production of pig iron estimated in thou- 
sands of tons has risen from 4024 to 17,853, 
that is to say (zmth emphasis) by 343 .6 percent ! 
while its production in Great Britain in the same 
time increased by 17.6 percent. Here are the 
figures. Our iron trade rose from 7681 to 903 1 
thousands. That means stagnation! 

King (amazed). What has become of England! 

Premier. Yes, Your Majesty, the situation is seri- 
ous. We are being overtaken. Look here. The 



THE NEW MORN. IQ 

production of pig iron in America rose in the 
same time from 6.520 to 30.203 which means 
by 363 . 2 percent. But America is a new coun- 
try with rich resources and unHmited areas of 
new territory. 

King. These data tell a frightful story. 

Premier. Yes, England is being hopelessly out- 
stripped by Germany. The same results appear 
all over. See here the statistics of the steel in- 
dustry. Germany has advanced from the third 
place to the second, and England is left far be- 
hind. 

Further, see here! The net tonnage of the 
German mercantile fleet has almost trebled 
within fifteen years. 

Wherever you look, Germany pushes ahead 
with unprecedented vigor and we are losing 
ground. The national wealth of the people has 
increased since William II's ascent to the throne 
by 5000 million pounds, and the national income 
amounts to-day to 2150 million pounds annually 
against 1200 million pounds in 1895! 

King. Indeed, the figures prove your statements 
true. 

Premier. But the facts are worse, for Germans in- 
trude into the commerce of the world and crowd 
out all other nationalities. The Paris exchange 
is full of Germans, and a great portion of French 
business is in German hands. 



20 THE NEW MORN. 

King. We ought to instigate the French govern- 
ment to use drastic means against foreign intru- 
sion. 

Premier. The French will tell us that our case is 
worse : a great section of the trade and industry 
of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and other 
cities is in German control and Germans occupy 
leading positions in our big business enterprises. 
It is an obvious case of dispossession of English- 
men in their own country. We are being an- 
nexed in times of peace, insidiously, quietly and 
without being able to make the slightest re- 
sistance. 

King. If the Germans are the fittest to fill commer- 
cial positions, let us send some of our young 
men to Germany to acquire German business 
methods and adapt them to the exigencies of our 
needs. 

Premier. Yes, Your Majesty, even that has been 
tried and English youths have returned from 
Germany as Germans — real German patriots, 
full of love for the fatherland. I know an Eng- 
lish scholar who lived in France and then in 
Germany and Austria. No better German could 
be found, he believes in the superiority of Ger- 
man Kiiltiir as if he were born in Germany. 
No, Your Majesty, your proposition has been 
tried. The German spirit itself is the danger. 

King. What shall we do? How shall we protect 
ourselves against Germany? 



THE NEW MORN. 21 

Premier. We must cripple her pretensions and dam- 
pen her inordinate ambition. That can success- 
fully be done by war only. We have tried peace- 
ful methods in vain. Think of our proposition 
to limit the building of warships. The Kaiser 
would not accept our offer. He continues to 
increase the German navy. 

King. I felt the seriousness of the German danger; 
but it is worse even than I thought. 

Premier. War will save us, and war alone. All 
peaceful means are exhausted. But our chances 
in war against Germany are good. We must 
engage her enemies, both Slav and Gaul, and 
between her foes to east and west her doom is 
sure. 

King. That settles it! 

Premier. Bravo! you are truly a king! 

King. I'll have my ministers approach both France 
and Russia and arrange an entente against our 
common enemy. But then, would you have the 
fatherland of our old Saxons divided between 
the Russians and the Celts? 

Premier. In statecraft we need waste no sentimen- 
tality. 

King. Maybe you are right. 

Premier. I'll give to Celt and Slav his share, but 
Germany, though in a crippled shape, we leave 
for future conflicts with Russia. 



22 THE NEW MORN. 

King. Yea, sir. I know a better way. Germany 
shall have her freedom. Old England stands 
for liberty. German culture reached its best and 
highest development at the time of her deepest 
political humiliation, but it is being ruined by 
militarism. When we expel her tyrants we shall 
restore the glorious days when she was famous 
as the country of poets and thinkers. Schiller 
and Beethoven were greater than Bismarck and 
Moltke. We shall liberate the Germans from 
the Hohenzollerns. We shall restore the older, 
nobler and better Germany. 

{The King rises.) 

Our task shall be to liberate the Saxons 
And the Bavarians from the Prussian yoke. 
Yea, all the smaller states and Hanover 
Must be restored to former independence. 

Premier. Your Majesty is the greatest diplomat 
the world has known. You will mend the mis- 
takes that your royal mother, otherwise so noble, 
has committed. But remember we must act be- 
fore it is too late. The Germans are warlike. 
They will gladly hail a war. Their officers in 
the army drink to the day when the struggle 
will begin; they clink their glasses and shout 
Der Tag! 

King {astonished). What! To the day, the Ger- 
mans clink their glasses? 
The day of war, of bloody, fierce decision? 
The peaceful Germans? 



THE NEW MORN. 23 

Premier. Yea, the peaceful Germans, 

They think it is their right to build a navy 
And they do feel that we will check their growth. 
The peaceful Germans are most warlike people 
As soon as they believe they suffer wrong. 

King. Oh, you are right. I fear the German danger, 
But think the day of war might be a night, 
A setting of the sun for either nation. 

Premier. Your Majesty! a night for Germany, 
Conquest for us! unfailing victory. 

King. May be 't will be for both of us a night. 
Well, let us hope the best, — the best for England. 

(Premier bows low and withdraws.) 

King (musing). It is an old tradition of Great 
Britain 
To keep the nations on the continent 
In equal balance. But should one be stronger 
Than all the others, we must break her strength ; 
Therefore we will ally with France and Russia. 
The strongest one is Germany. 'Gainst her 
We must proceed. Our prospects promise much, 
ril have my ministers make haste straightway. 
Confer with France and Russia as to terms 
And have the papers drawn up with dispatch. 
Would that the powers of destiny vouchsafed 
The secret which the future darkly bears. 
How will it be with England when Fm gone? 
I fain would know the fruitage of my plans. 

(Background darkens and Witch reappears.) 



24 THE NEW MORN. 

Witch. King Edward, listen to my warning voice. 
War will not help you. War in fact will hurt 
Your own prosperity and power as much 
As of your enemies. Old England thrives 
In peace. Indeed her wars in recent times 
Have worked her ill, and would you add one 

more, 
A greater ill, to swell those of the past? 
I see naught but bad omens in your plans, 
Your sly designs and your diplomacy. 
If you would keep Great Britain in the lead, 
Let England's sons her battles fight with honor 
In open field ; do not rely on others 
Nor win by gold or base diplomacy. 

King. 'Tis time to act before it be too late, 

And we must use the greatest circumspection. 

Witch. You fear that England falls behind and that 
The Germans grow in industry and power. 
This may be true. I recognize the danger. 
And here is the advice I have to give : 
Follow the German method! Introduce 
Reform all round, in school, in church, in state. 
Have Englishmen progress and let them learn 
The cause of Germany's advance. Thus only 
Will England keep her old supremacy. 

King. First must we overcome the German danger, 
Then we will use reform ! We shall ally 
The world against the Kaiser. Let me see 
The German Emperor. — Lo ! there he rises. 

{The German Kaiser rises in the middle of the stage, iirst 
alone in his uniform of the guards.) 



THE NEW MORN. 2$ 

I grant that he is strong. He is courageous. 
But how he'll wince with all his foes against 
him! 

(The Witch lifts her wand. On the left rise the Russians 
and on the right the French, with some English and Belgian 
troops. Among the English is King George V on horseback. 
The Belgians are behind the walls of a fort.) 

Kaiser (addressing King George V). I 

cousin, what a dreadful game is this ! i 
Surrounded as I am by mighty foes, 

It grieves me sore to see you on their side. 
What are the terms of your neutrality? 

King Edward (to King George). 

The Kaiser is afraid. Stand firm. Don't waver. 

King George (replying to the Kaiser). 

1 am in honor bound to draw the sword 
And stand by my allies. 

King Edward (to King George). 

Well done, my son! 

(To the Witch.) 

Our friends are strong and we prefer a war ! 
Witch. If thou preferest war, let war prevail. 

(At this declaration all draw their swords against the Kaiser. 
The latter raises his sword and rises higher surrounded by 
German soldiers and cannon coming out of the ground.) 

Kaiser. We Germans fear but God and nothing else ! 

(At this point the first shots Hash from the German cannon 
with loud report and the Belgian fortifications fall. The Ger- 
man soldiers advance to the sound of German war music 



26 THE NEW MORN. 

toward the French and Russians, who fall back, and the 
background of the stage is mainly covered with advancing 
Germans. The horse of King George rears high and the 
King falls to the ground. At the sight of this. King Edward 
sinks back in his chair. King George's aide-de-camp watches 
the event with expressions of horror.) 

King Edward. What ill omen ! 

Witch. The war has started, take the consequences. 

(Night covers the scene and German national songs are heard. 
When light returns the Witch and King Edward with the 
entire background of the royal dressing room have disap- 
peared. The scene is now covered with the three groups of 
soldiers: the Germans with the Kaiser in the center, the 
Russians on one side and the English, French and Belgians 
on the other.) 

The Kaiser (shading his eyes and peering into the 
distance) . What's coming there ? Lend me your 
field-glass, Hindenburg. 

Hindenburg. That is a messenger from Mr. Wil- 
son. 

Kaiser. From Woodrow Wilson of the United 
States ? 

Hindenburg. Indeed, Your Majesty, from Wood- 
row Wilson, 
The President of the United States. 
He probably brings us another note 
On his ideas of humaneness and 
Our use of submarines. 

Kaiser. The time will come 

When the Americans will use them too, 
For submarines will be the best defense 



THE NEW MORN. 27 

For their extended coast lines. Will they now 
Cripple their own, their best much needed 
weapon ? 

(An automobile arrives with American envoy, a chauffeur and 
servant. The American envoy steps out.) 

American. Is this the German Emperor? 

HiNDENBURG. Indeed. 

American. Excuse me, first I have some rushing 
business 
With the allies. I have some packages 
Of ammunition, shrapnels, shells and bombs. 

(Addressing the chauffeur and his servant.) 

Here boys, deliver them, be quick about it. 

(Turning to the German group) 

And here I have a note from Woodrow Wilson. 

(He hands some paper to Hindenburg who takes hold of one 
end and begins to open it; in unrolling it becomes longer 
and longer. .One soldier helps to unroll it and the strip of 
paper extends over the whole stage.) 

Kaiser. What is that all about? 

American. Your Majesty, it deals with principles 
Of ethics and humaneness. 

Kaiser. Very well! 

Humaneness is the principle which I 
Pursue in peace and not the less in war. 
Have anxiously preserved peace to the last, 
But when I saw my enemies were bent 
On ruining the growth of Germany 
I recognized my duty to defend 
The people whom I rule by God's good grace. 



28 THE NEW MORN. 

American. You ought to understand that we do 
not 
Believe in what you call by God's good grace. 
We dislike military institutions 
And above all, we hate imperialism. 
You call it by God's grace. That makes it worse. 

Kaiser. My friend, our military institutions, 
They have been forced upon us. 

American. How is that? 

Kaiser. Yes, forced upon us by our enemies 

Because they robbed and pillaged German lands. 
We do not fight with mercenary soldiers. 
We go to war ourselves, we and our sons. 
We ofifer our own blood, we risk our lives 
For our dear fatherland, our liberty, 
Our Union, and the honor of our country. 
We are prepared for war, but peace we love. 
The time will come when other nations too 
Will imitate this German institution. 
In England they will have it very soon. 
And that will render Englishmen as peaceful 
As are the Germans now. 

Yes, that alone 
Is to bring peace on earth. 

American. Strange, very strange, 

That thought is new to me. Yes, mercenaries 
Are cheaper than our sons. That makes men 

peaceful. 
Still we object to your imperialism. 



THE NEW MORN. 29 

Kaiser. I know that many in America 
Have wrong ideas of the Fatherland. 
To them the Kaiser is a brutal tyrant, 
They think his office means imperialism. 
And if he claims to be installed by God 
They deem it vain pretension and perhaps 
Religious superstition. How mistaken 
Are ye ! Let me inform you then : "God's grace" 
To Germans means that I was born a Kaiser. 
A Kaiser owes his office to the law 
And to the constitution of our country. 
But it means more. I am responsible 
And feel responsible to God alone. 
My right to rule is not a privilege, 
And not a sinecure. It is a duty, 
Yea t'is a sacred duty ; my good people 
Are looking up to me as to the one 
Who is by God and through our laws entrusted 
With the protection of their liberties. 
One of my ancestors, whom history 
Calls Frederick the Great, described his office 
As being the first servant of the state. 
An emperor with us serves not the times 
Nor does he seek applause for reelection. 
God is his judge, the God of history, 
The God of justice. We expect a king 
To do his duty and obey his conscience. 
That is the meaning if in Germany 
Our kings and kaisers wear the royal crown, 
And claim to wear it by the grace of God. 



30 THE NEW MORN. 

American. I never saw the question in that light, 
And I confess your words will make us pause. 
Should we not wish that all our presidents 
Were such by grace of God ? Some of them were, 
I claim! Yes, Washington and Lincoln too. 

how I wish that all had been and would be. 
But now our presidents express resentment. 
Because they cannot rule and are restricted 
By Congress. But we will oppose oppression 
And we insist on freedom everywhere. 

Kaiser. I hope that Germany is not oppressed. 
What I can do assuredly will make 
My people free — the freest in the world. 
Freedom is not insured by constitutions. 
Freedom depends upon the citizens. 
And it may be that in a Kaiserdom 
They may be freer than in democracies. 

1 grant I am the first among my people. 

The first but not their master, not their owner, 

Am primus inter pares, all are free, 

And I am one of them, their elder brother. 

I am the father of the fatherland. 

My daily prayer and my most high ambition 

Is to be worthy of my noble oi^ce. 

American. If your conception of your oflfice is 
So high as now expressed, how can you sink 
The Lusitania, use the submarines 
And wage so barbarous a brutal war? 

Kaiser. How can we wage a war which is not bru- 
tal? 



THE NEW MORN. 



31 



HiNDENBURG (sarcastically). Your Majesty, he 

wants you not to use 
Torpedoes nor big Berthas, but to shoot 
Soft suger-plums from pop-guns. That would 

make 
All war humane. 

Kaiser. Indeed it would, indeed; 

And if the enemy would but begin, 
I certainly would gladly follow suit. 
I see you bring some loads of ammunition 
And here they are unloaded for the use 
Of the Allies, my enemies. Tell me. 
Are then the shells you manufacture 
The new humane kind of superior type? 

American. They are the old type, why of course 
they are, 
For they are made according to strict orders. 

Kaiser. So long as you continue thus to furnish 
My enemies with the old-fashioned style 
Do not expect of me to wage the war 
As if it were mere sport. And now, dear sir. 
Now kindly give us room for the attack. 
You think you have a right to travel everywhere, 
But we are in sore need to wage our war. 
Remove your boxes filled with ammunition 
And other stuff of cant and human kindness. 
I do not care for Woodrow Wilson's notes 
Whose honey-tongued humaneness has two sides. 
We have to do our duty without fear 
And our most urgent duty is to save 



32 THE NEW MORN. 

Our country; win the victory and then 
We leave all other things to Providence. 

American. You are sarcastic, sir, and so it seems 
That we have not successfully convinced you 
Of the necessity of waging war 
Humanely like an English gentleman. 

Kaiser. Have I invented war? Have I begun it? 
I wage the war that has been forced upon me, 
In war have I but one sole aim in view, 
That is to win the victory. But when 
My enemy is down and in my power, 
He is no longer treated as a foe; 
He then becomes my friend, my protege. 
Humaneness is an admirable virtue, 
But if you preach humaneness, let your speech 
Go out to those of your own countrymen 
Who manufacture ammunition. Or 
Do address your unctions words unto 
The gallant captain of the Baralong 
And his courageous crew who in cold blood 
Have murdered helpless men — after surrender. 

American. Consider, sir, that English sailors are 
Justly embittered 'gainst the submarines. 

Kaiser. May be ! Our submarines are quite efficient 
And dangerous, — good reason to be hated! 
But that does not excuse bloodthirsty murder. 

American. Sailors are brutal in the wrath of battle; 
But ordinarily the English are 
All gentlemen. It is their nature. Sir; 
'Tis born in them and they are proud of it. 



THE NEW MORN. 33 

HiNDENBURG. That may well be, but some of them 
combine 
The polished manners of a gentleman 
With criminality. For instance take 
Findlay, the British minister to Norway, 
A perfect gentleman who tried to lure 
By treachery an Irish patriot 
Into a trap — perhaps to be imprisoned 
For life ; perhaps, if unavoidable, 
To be assassinated. Further think 
Of Captain Guy Gaunt bribing an office boy. 
And like a sneak-thief pilfering the mails ; 
The British secret service does not shrink 
From forgery and foulest low-bred crime. 
Such are the deeds of English gentlemen. 

American. It takes a thief to catch a thief. 

HiNDENBURG. Thesc stories 

Are worse than you imagine. Treachery 
They are, foul treachery, and despicable. 
They are unworthy of an honest man. 
They can be done by liars only, and 
The British government did guarantee 
A snug reward besides impunity 
For common murder ! Yea, such is humaneness 
Practised officially in England, practised 
By English diplomats; by gentlemen, 
And Findlay's trick would surely have succeeded 
Had not the commoner of Norway been 
Too honest for the British diplomat. 
He was a lowly servant, a valet; 



34 THE NEW MORN. 

He was no gentleman, he was a man — 

I honor him. Truly he was a man, 

Not for a fortune would he have betrayed 

His master, though impunity was promised. 

Impimity is easier to bestow 

Then a clear conscience. Yea he was a man, 

I range a man above a gentleman. 

American. The story of Sir Roger Casement is 
Perhaps not true. An Irish patriot. 
You say, he is: that means, an English traitor. 

Hindenburg. That may be granted without contra- 
diction, 
For Irish people never learned to love 
The English or the English government. 
Yet there's another point to which 
I must object. The question raised is this: 
Has any government the privilege 
Unscrupulously to commit foul crime, 
As freely and unhesitatingly 
As do the common criminals? The English 
Use as their most effective weapon lies 
Misrepresenting Germany's good cause. 
Yet claim to be a Christian nation. 

American. Yes 

They are good Christians, Christian gentlemen. 

Hindenburg. O yes, they are in words, but not in 
deeds. 
It is an old experience that people 
Who always talk of virtue and humaneness 
Have naught of either in their hearts. And thus 



THE NEW MORN. 35 

Their piety is sheer hypocrisy. 

Now give us room for battle. Don't expect 

That we can fight if you are in the way. 

{The American messenger returns into his automobile and 
retires behind the stage. Both sides, the Germans and the 
Allies, resume a threatening attitude. At this moment from 
the right side of the stage a big engine rolls in, puMng heavily. 
When the engine reaches the crowds of soldiers a railroad 
guard jumps off and, ringing a bell, heralds the train which 
proceeds to the center of the stage.) 

Guard. First Oriental Express! 
Berlin, Vienna, Constantinople! 

Kaiser. I believe that's my train. Conductor, 
How are further connections south? 

Guard. Connections with India and with Egypt in 
preparation ! 

Kaiser. That's what I want. Come on boys! All 
aboard ! {German soldiers step up on both sides.) 
The war assumes new prospects. ( Turns to the 
English.) As for you, gentlemen, ye thought 
evil against me, but God meanb it unto good. 

May God deal with you after your desert. 
Good-by! I have no time to linger here; 
Great is the task before us. We will build 
An empire that will reach through all the climes 
From Baltic shores to the equator southward. 
Let us part company, my British friends; 
We shall no longer need your trade, for here 
With our ally the Turk we shall develop 
In fair cooperation new domains 
Of a commercial union. Babylon 



36 THE NEW MORN. 

And ancient Egypt too may be restored 

To former glory and prosperity. 

We'll do our best to make this awful war 

The promising beginning of new eras 

In history, of eras that will open 

The rich resources of Oriental wealth. 

The struggle may be hard ; the dreary night 

Which you endeavor to bring down on us 

May long endure, but on our part we're willing 

To fight courageously and to defend 

Our fatherland, our freedom and our cause. 

We offer for our country all we have 

And all we are. If need be we'll lay down 

Our lives in sacrifice for our ideals 

Nor shall it be for nought. Lo! I can see 

The dawn approach in gorgeous red of morning. 

Yea, I am sure of final victory. 

The God of history will stand by us; 

He guards the people who advance mankind 

By leading on to higher planes. I greet 

The first bright rays of the young rising sun, 

Which ushers The New Morn upon the world. 

Our envious foes have lit the fire of war 

And they are trying to destroy our nation, 

But we'll stand firm and God their schemes will 

mar. 
From the ordeal of this conflagration. 
Greater Germania phoenixlike shall rise 
And Victory to her award the-prize. 

{German war music. — Curtain.) 



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